Mounting means



J n. 14, 1947. L. v. MCCA'RTY 2,414,236

MOUNTING MEANS Original Filed April 25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.Zouwdes Z 1%: C'awzfy $03 1wmm Jan. 14, 1947. v. M cARTY 2,414,235

I MOUNTING MEANS Original Filed April 25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. Lourdes jVcC'a/"Q Patented Jan. 14,1947

MOUNTING MEANS Lourdes V. McCarty, Milwaukee, Wis., a'ssignor toMilwaukee Gas Specialty Compa Wis., a corporation of WisconsinMilwaukee.

Original application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,247, now Patent No.2,349,443, dated May 23, 1944. Divided and this application March 24,1944, Serial No. 527,903.

4 Claims. (01. 131-139) a.

i This invention relates to controlling means and has to do moreparticularly with the mounting thereof.

More specifically, my invention has to do with apparatus comprising acontrolling member or valve disc movable from one position to anotherand operated by means of an electromagnet ener- I gized by an electriccurrent of slight power, such as that generated by a thermoelectricgenerator heated by a pilot light of a burner control apparatus, inwhich the electromagnet and controlling member and associated parts, aredisposed within a suitable housing.

Because of the minute power available for operating a unit of this kind,it is necessary to maintain anaccurate relationship between thecomponent parts thereof. Since it is desirable to obtain ready accessfor assembly and servicing, it is preferable to construct a device ofthis kind in such a manner that separating the housing exposes the partsinvolved '11 usual servicing .and adjustment without furtherdisassembling.

The instant invention is directed to the provision of an improvedmounting for the electromagnetic operating unit and valve or controllingmember assembly, and, more particularly, an improved form of resilientmounting for assuring accurate positioning of the valve disc or othercontrolling member with respect to the valve seat or cooperating part.Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from thedetail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary and more or less diagrammatic view showing anembodiment of the invention in a pilot burner and main burner gas supplysystem;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the thermoelectric control and safetyshut-off device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the electromagnetic operating unittaken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure and showing the valvemember, its operating lever, and the hinge mounting for the valveoperating lever;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale and takensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 5, with the sealing cover forthe energy storing means removed; and

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section, also on an enlarged scale,taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 2.

This application is a division of my copending application for Burnercontrol apparatus,

Serial No. 390,247, filed April 25, 1941, now PatentNo. 2,349,443,granted May 23, 1944.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 the burner I9 is any suitable orpreferred main burner. It may be the main burner for a room or spaceheater, or it may be the burner for a water heater, or for .a floorfurnace, an oven burner, one or more top burners for a gas range, or anyother burner. A fuel supply pipe ll leads to the burner l0 for thedelivery of gaseous or other fuel thereto-for example, throughv a mixingchamber l2 to which air is admitted in the usual way, as well understoodin the, art.

Interposed .in the fuel supply pipe II is the thermoelectric control andsafety shut-off device. indicated in its entirety at IS in Figure 1. Thedevice I5 is responsive to the pilot burner I6. It may also beresponsive to a control device l1 shown, for purposes of illustration inFigure 1, as a thermostatically actuated switch which, in the case of ahot water heater, may be subject to the temperature of the water in thetank, or, in the case of a room or space heater or floor furnace, may bemounted in appropriate position within the rooin or other space heatedby the burner [0. Instead of being in the form of a thermostaticallyactuated switch, the control device ll may be of a character to operate,for example,

upon the occurrence of an abnormal pressure in the tank of a hot waterheater, or upon the occurrence of-any other abnormal, defective, orinsufficient functioning of the apparatus. The

room or space or portion of the apparatus or a system to the temperatureor other condition of which the control device I I is subject isindicated more or less diagrammatically by dot and dash lines l8 inFigure 1.

The pilot burner it, which is located in juxtaposition to the mainburner ill to maintain a pilot flame for igniting the main burner, issupplied with gaseous fuel by a pilot supply pipe i 9 which is shown asleading from the housing or case of the thermoelectric control andsafety shut-off device i 5. This may vary within the scope of thepresent'invention.

Referring now in detail to the thermoelectric control and safetyshut-01f device IS, the housing or case 22 for this device has an inletat 23 and an outlet at 24. The inlet 23 opens into the interior of thehousing, and a partition or wall 25 separates the interior of thehousing from the outlet 24. The partition 25 has an opening intowhich'is threaded a retaining ring 26 which secures a valve seat member21 in place. The valve seat member 21 defines an opening 28 for placingmay vary. The coil one leg of the magnet frame, and the end of the' seatmember 21 is provided with an annular valve shut-off valve disc 38 isof! the supply of fuel to seat 29 upon which the adapted to seat to shutContiguous sections are connected to the inlet at 23 and to the outletat 24, as shown in Figure 1. A cover 34 is removably secured upon andcloses the top of the housing 22. The cover 34 is shown as secured tothe housing 22 by screws 35, and'a cover gasket may be provided at 36. I

The electromagnetic operator for the valve or controlling member and thevalve, valve lever, and energy storing means constitute a unitaryassembly which is carried by the cover 34, preferably resiliently, aswill hereinafter appear; This assembly is enclosedwithin the housing 22when the cover 34 is applied, and is removable from the housing byremoving the cover.

The electromagnetic operator includes an electromagnet consisting of amagnet frame 48 shown the burner l8. A gasket may be provided at 3!. ofthe fuel supply pipe H with the sealing plate. The opposite ends of thehinge springs 13 are secured, for example, at 14 to lateral lugs on theoperating lever 18. The lever 18 has 3. lug 16 offset upwardlytherefrom, and the valve disc member 38 or controlling memher is securedto this lug 16 by a valve disc screw 18. The reduced outer end of thelug 16 engages in a slot 19 in the downturned lug 88 on the mountingplate 56. Engagement of the reduced outer end of the lug 16 with the lug88 at the bottom of the slot 19 serves to prevent undue sepl 'aration ofthe valve disc 38 from the mountin as of generally U-shaped form,although this 4| is shown as wound around other leg of the magnet frameis shown as turned at 42 to position generally parallel to the armature43.to present a relatively large pole face to of spring character tomaintain the armature in the desired position. The cover 45 is removablysecured to the sealing plate, for example, by screws 52, limit movementof the electromagnet.

The magnet frame ried by a mounting plate 56 which has a downturned lug51 positioned against the back of the armature away from the downturnedend 42 of the magnet frame. Screws 58 secure the sealing plate 44 to thedownturned lug 51 on the mounting plate 56. A sealing gasket ispreferably provided at 59.

The armature 43 and the downturned end 42 of the magnet frame haveregistering openings 62. A plunger 63, movable endwise in theseopenings, is secured to the center of a flexible diaphragm 64 byadiaphragm pin 65. The diathe pole faces of the magnet, I frame, and thehinge' means 48 is preferably and the cover, when in place, may

plate 56 and electromagnetic operator assembly, particularly when theassembly is removed from the housing 22.

At its opposite end the lever18 is provided centrally between itsopposite sides with a downwardly offset lug 82 having a pointed end' forengagement. at 83 with the adjacent end of the diaphragm pin 65, Thelever 18, being hinged or fulcrumed close to pointed 'engagement at 83with the plunger 63, provides for imparting relatively great movement tothe valve disc 38 with relatively slight movement of the plunger 63. Themounting plate 56 has an opening 85, and a relatively light coiledspring 86 is disposed through this opening between the lever 18 forreturning the valve disc38 to -'closed position upon deenergization ofthe electand the energy storing -means tromagnet. The thermoelectriccontrol and safety shut-off device is preferably positioned verticallyin use, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, in in which case I contemplatereturning the valve disc 38 to closed position by gravity and withoutthe use of a spring, such as the spring 86, or by gravity in conjunctionwith the spring 86, or otherwise .as desired. A circular raised portiona 81 on the lever 18 engages in the lower end con- 48 is mounted on andcarphragm 64 is clamped in place tothe back cf the downturned lug 51 onthe mounting plate 56 by a, retaining plate 66 which may be secured inplace by the lower screws 58 and cooperating nuts (not shown), orotherwise as desired. The retaining plate 66 and the downturned lug 51of the mounting plate 56 have registering opening's and the diaphragm 64seals the space between, the sealing plate 44 and the cover 45 againstthe entry of deleterious matter through the openings 62.

A valve or controlling member operating lever 18 is hinged at 12, 12(Figure 3) by a pair of hinge springs 13 to lugs on the sealing plat 44,or to lugs on a mounting plate secured in place volution of the spring86 for holding the lower end of-the spring in place and against lateraldisplacement.

It will be noted that the gas pressure within the housing 22, actingupon the top of the valve disc '38, holds the valve disc to its seat 29.When the valve is closed, it requires the greatest force to lift it ormoveit from its seat 29, and as the valve disc 38 is lifted or movedaway from its seat the drop in pressure across the valve causes a rapiddrop in the force required to continue movement of the valve disc 38 tofull open position.

The energy storing means is shown as comprising a pair of flat leafsprings 98 and 92 normally disposed in substantially parallel relation.The .upper ends of these leaf springs 98'and 92 are attached to thearmature 43, for example, by a screw 93 threaded into an armaturebushing 94, which bushing 94 in. turn is suitably secured or fixedto thearmature 43. Spacers are provided at 95, one between the armature 43 andthe spring 98, and the other between the spring 98 and the spring 82. Aretaining clamp 96 is provided betweenthespring 92, and the head of thescrew An adjusting pressure screw 98, threaded through the spring 98near its lower end, has endwise engagement with the plunger 63,preferably the screw I88 is adapted to engage or contact the spring 98after initial tensioning of the spring a I 98, as will presently appear.In that the spring 98 alone is tensioned in the initial movement of thearmature from retracted to attracted position,

the magnet frame 48 and the pointed inner end of the spaced from or outof contact with the spring 96 as shown, for example, more or lessdiagrammatically in Figure 5. The screws 68 and I are adjustable toadjust the action of the device, and may be locked in adjusted tensionclamps being indicated more or less diagrammatically at I02 and I03respectively. The spring 92 has an opening I04 which operates over thehead of the screw 98 to permit movement of the spring 92 toward thespring 90 "and free of the spring 90 in the initial movement of thearmature to attracted position. a

The top of the housing 22 is shown as provided with an outlet IIO towhich the pilot supply pipe I9 is adapted to be connected by a threadedcoupling or union fuel to the pilot burner I6. The outlet H0 is shown asprovided with a pipe cap II4 which, of course. is removed in connectingthe pilot supply pipe I9 to the outlet H0. 1

For the purposes of illustration, the thermoelectric generator, which isenergized'by the heat 01' the pilot flame screw I00 is normally forenergizing the electromagnet, is shown more .or less diagrammatically asa thermopile II comprising a plurality of thermocouples-three beingshown-connected in series. This, of course, may vary within the scope ofthe present invention, any thermoelectric generator which will generatethe required thermoelectric current being contemplated within the scopeof the appended claims.

Suilice it for purposes of the present application to state that each ofthe three thermocouples of the thermoelectric generator I I 5 comprisesthe member II2 for delivering gaseous for supplying thermoelectriccurrent to the thermoelectric operating circuit positions as desired,

j outer tubular lead conductor I26 is grounded to the cover 34 ofthehousing 22 through a bushing I32 and the connector sleeve I22, to theinternally threaded boss I34 on the cover 34.

One end of the coil 4I (Figure 5) is secured to the under side or thecover 34 by a binding screw I40, and thereby is grounded to the cover 34and thus connected to the outer lead conductor I26. The other end I42 ofthe coil 4| is connected to a terminal post I43 fixed in a boss I 44 onthe cover I4 and insulated therefrom by a terminal bushing I45. Theterminal tip I20, which is insulated from the cover by an insulatorbushing I48, is

' connected in circuit with a second terminal post I50 by a connectorstrip I52. An insulator strip is provided at I53 (Figure 4). Theterminal post I50 i fixed in a boss I55 on the cover 34 and is insulatedtherefrom by a terminal insulator I56. An insulating terminal board I56is mounted across the tops of the bosses I44 and I55, suitable washersbeing provided ends oi! the terminal posts I43 and I50 being peened overor otherwise formed to secure the terminal board in place.

Where a thermostat or other condition responsive device is employed asindicated at I1 in Figure 1, the leads I62 and I63 for this device are iconnected to the terminal posts I43 and I 50 by usual or any suitableelements H6 and II! of diii'erent thermoelectric characteristics, eachpair of said elements being joined at II6 to provide the hot Junctionswhich are placed in position to be heated by the pilot flame as long asthe pilot flame is burning. Any other suitable thermoelectric orelectric generator may be em- .ployed.

The lead conductors for the thermoelectric generator may be of the typemore fully disclosed in Oscar J. Leins Patent No. 2,126,564, grantedAugust 9, 1938, or the construction of the thermoelectric leads may beof any other suitable or preferredform.

For the purpose of this description, suflice it to state that thethermoelectric lead conductors comprise an inner lead conductor I25 andan outer tubular lead conductor I 26 surrounding the inner leadconductor. The inner lead conductor is insulated from the outer leaderconductor, for instance, by a wrapping of insulation I21 (Figure 4) onthe inner lead conductor. One terminal ofthe thermoelectric generator isshown more or less diagrammatically as connected at I28 to the outertubular lead conductor I26. The other terminal of the thermoelectricgenerator is shown as connected at I30 to the inner lead conductor I25.

A quick detachable or removable connection is preferably providedbetween the electromagnet oi the thermoelectric control and safetyshut-ofi' device and the ends of the leads I25 and I26 opposite the endswhich are connected to the thermoelectric generator. -The inner lead I25has a connector cone I28 which seats in the corrrespondingly recessedouter end of the terminal tip I30, and is clamped in contact therewithby a connector sleeve I32. The adjacent end of the suitable bindingscrews I65.

other condition responsive device I! is thus placed.

The thermostat or in series circuit relation with the thermoelectricgenerator and the coil 4| of the electromagnet.

To assure accurate positioning of the valve disc 30 or other controllingmember with respect to the valve seat 29 or cooperating part andindependently, for example, of the attachment of the cover 34 to thehousing 22, I provide a resilient mounting for the electromagneticoperator assembly. This resilient mounting comprises four verticallyelongated screws or posts having their heads disposed beneath themounting plate 56 and their shanks extending up relatively looselythrough openings in the mounting plate. The upper ends 01' the screws orposts I15 have threaded engagement at I16 with the cover 3 4, andsprings I16 are coiled about the respective posts and interposed betweenthe cover 34 and the mounting plate 56. When the cover 34 is applied,the electromagnetic operator is positioned within the housing 22 and themounting plate 56 seats upon horizontal seating surfaces I on theinterior of the housing 22, thus assuring accurate positioning of thevalve disc with respect to its valve seat 29. The cover 34 may beclamped in place, and any improper fit of the cover or nonuniformity inthe clamping of the same in place will not disturb the properpositioning of the valve disc 30. The heads at the lower ends of thescrews or posts I15 are shown in Figure 4 as spaced below the mountingplate 56 and as positioned in recesses I82 in the housing 22.

The operation of the control system of Figure 1 is described in detailin my above identified copending application and need not be stated!here. The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is forillustrative purposes only, and it is to be expressly understood thatsaid drawings and the accompanying specification are not to be construedas a definition oi the limits or scope being had to the apa controllinga cover for said operator means within said housing,

at I56, and the upper having mechanical connection with the controllingmember for supporting said controlling memthe controlling member andindependently of the attachment of the cover to the housing.

2. In a device of the class described, a valvehousing having an inletand an outlet, a partition wall separating said inlet from said outletand having a valve. opening provided with a valve seat, a valve memberadapted to close against said seat, a cover for said housing, operatormeans within said housing having mechanical connection with the valvemember for supporting said valve member and operable to open the valvemember, a supporting member for mechanically supporting said operatormeans,.and means resiliently mounting said supporting member on saidcover and including abutment means within the housing upon which saidsupporting memher is adapted to seat to assure accurate positioning ofthe valve member with respect to said valve seat and independently ofthe attachment of the cover to the housing.

3. In combination, a housing, means carried by said housing and defininga valve opening provided with a valve seat, a valve member within saidhousing andadapted to'close against said seat, a cover for said housing,operator means within said housing having mechanical connection with thevalve member for supporting said valve member and operable to open thevalve member, a supporting member for mechanically supporting saidoperator means, and means resiliently mounting said supporting member onsaid cover and including abutment means within the housing uponwhichsaid supporting member is adapted to seat to assure accuratepositioning of the valve member with respect to said valve seat andindependently of the attachment of the cover to the housing.

4. In combination, a housing, a controlling member within said housing,a cover for said housing, operator means within said housing havingmechanical connection with the controlling member for supporting saidcontrolling-member and operable to operate the controlling member, asupporting member for mechanically supporting said operator means, meanscarried by said housing for cooperation with said controlling member,and means resiliently mounting said supporting member on said cover andincluding abutment means within the housing upon which saidadapted toseat to assure supporting member is accurate positioning of thecontrolling member with respect to said cooperating" means.

LOURDES V. McCARTY.

